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Derek Haig
Derek Haig is a student at Degrassi Community School. He is portrayed by Marc Donato. When he was young, Derek was put up for adoption by his mother. Derek is on the football team, and is best friends with Danny Van Zandt. Character History Season 5 Jimmy got the chance to coach the basketball team, which annoyed Derek, as he judged Jimmy for being paralyzed. He was proved wrong and was surprised and humbled when Jimmy beat him in a game of horse. When Derek goes over Danny's house to be tutored by Liberty Van Zandt, Danny suggests they order a pizza. He then calls a pizza place and they get it delivered. While Liberty and Derek are alone, Derek asks if Liberty ever thought about keeping her baby. She takes the innocent question too personally, and orders Derek out of the house. He later reveals that he asked the question because he was adopted himself. Later on, when J.T. Yorke and Liberty were making a treasure box by Derek's suggestion, Liberty asks both Danny and Derek to put some things inside, so the baby would know he had lots of good people supporting him. Season 6 Danny and Derek were running in the hallway, they ran into their History teacher, Mr. Perino which caused them to spill his coffee and break his mug. Mr. Perino overreacts. Mr. Simpson remarks that they're just kids and make mistakes. When Danny presents his presentation on World War II, Mr. Perino said that the assignment was to write a summary. He then accuses him of plagiarizing. Later on, Mr. Perino threatens Derek and tells him to treat him with respect. Later the next day, Mr. Perino tells Derek to forget about what happened at the bus stop, realizing he was out of place. After Danny and Derek present their presentation on the United Nations, he calls on another student to present his presentation. Mr. Perino accuses the student of incompetency and makes inappropriate remarks when the student admits he wasn't prepared right away. Derek asks why he has to be so mean, Mr. Perino ignores him and asks everyone if they have a presentation or if he could just keep handing out zeros. Derek then sees Snake in the hallway. He then walks out and tells Snake about what just happened and about the previous incidents. It is implied that Mr. Perino is confronted, but not fired, as he is seen in later episodes. Derek was also seen at J.T.'s memorial service alongside Danny later in the season. Season 7 Later in the year Peter, Danny, Derek and new Lakehurst Rachel work on a "How to" video. Both Danny and Derek like Rachel and after she rejects Derek she asks Danny out. Derek comes over the next day saying that they need to "dump" Rachel because she rejected Derek. Derek then realizes after both Danny and Rachel have turtle neck sweaters on that they're hiding hickies, and claims that Danny "stole" Rachel from Derek. He then ends their friendship. Derek tries to get even with Danny by putting lingerie in Danny's backpack in a store, without Danny knowing. Danny ends up in trouble. Derek realizes his wrong doing and ends up apologizing to him in front of the class Season 8 Derek is accepted onto the Degrassi Football Team as a Tight End. However, he does not approve of Jane being on the team because she is a girl. He leads in taunting her for various reasons, particularly because she fumbles the ball in a game because Derek missed a block. The day after the game, some of the players on the team, including Daniel Van Zandt, wear shirts with the phrase 'Sorry I dropped the ball, it's my time of the month.' Jane becomes angry, and reports the shirt incident to Coach Sheppard. The team coach makes the team practice more vigorous because of the incident, and makes Jane participate in the punishment as well because he does not want to give her special treatment. After practice, the team is angry with Jane. Derek continuously shoves Jane into lockers, and makes comments about her not being able to take a hit. Jane reacts by pushing Derek into a locker in retaliation and knocking him down. Bruce knocks Jane down, and Derek persists to kick Jane in the stomach. Riley sees what's going on and gets them to stop, pushing Derek off of her and shoving him down the hall. When Jane tells Coach Sheppard about the incident involving Derek, he tells her she receives no special treatment. Jane then tries to leave the team but is persuaded to stay, once announcing this at a meeting in a locker room, Derek and some other boys try to reject her but Sav, Danny, and Riley rethink their words and actions towards her, decide that she is on their team and stand up for her. Derek has also started hanging around Bruce the Moose, taking Johnny DiMarco's place as one of the school's bullies. In Bad Medicine Danny hooks Derek and Leia up, after Derek tells him that he likes her. Danny asks Leia about giving Derek a chance, and she says yes, but only if he interrupts their date to save her. Danny agrees, but also realizes that he likes her but wouldn't feel right betraying Derek. He is also caught with the idea that Leia likes Derek after seeing them on their date, which coincidentally Derek and Leia were talking about Danny. Derek gives Danny permission to go after Leia knowing that he secretly likes her, which also rekindles the two's friendship. Danny and Leia then discuss what happen, and share a kiss. In Money for Nothing, he teases Holly J., who's working at The Dot. She retaliates by pouring his milkshake on his head. In Heat of the Moment, when Bruce the Moose conducts the cafeteria in chanting "I Hate Holly J.", Derek joins in. Later, he jokingly brings a noose to school, but Holly J. ignores him. Derek, so far, has not appeared in season nine nor is he in the opening credits. Trivia *Derek left Degrassi without being in a relationship. He and Bruce are the only two; however, Derek went on two dates, one with Emma and one with Leia. Both dates were not successful and caused the girls to realize strong feelings for other boys. (Emma realized she liked Peter and Leia realized she had feelings for Danny.) *He is the second character named Derek in the Degrassi universe to have been adopted. Derek "Wheels" Wheeler from Degrassi Junior High, and Degrassi High was the other. 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